Freeview – The Free UK Digital TV Service

Information about Freeview,what the services offers, how to get Freeview, and answers to common questions about the free-to-view TV service.

What is Freeview?

Freeview is a Digital TV service that allows you to watch over 40 TV channels via your TV aerial. No dish required, no subscription, no ties, no contracts, and no installation costs. Just buy a set-top box for free access to the Freeview channel lineup…

Box – If you are in a coverage area, you’ll need to get a free-to-air set-top box. Boxes cost from around £20 and can be bought from high-street stores such as Currys. Shopping online for a set-top box is often cheaper. For help choosing, see further down this page.

Connect – Plug your existing TV aerial lead into your Freeview set-top box, then connect a SCART lead from the box to your TV’s SCART socket, and you should be ready to go. Follow the instructions supplied with the set-top box, and scan for available Freeview channels.

The cost? There’s no subscription costs or rental agreements, so the one-off cost for the set-top box is all you’ll pay for the extra channels.

Freeview set-top boxes

Connectivity: All boxes have a single SCART socket for connection either to a TV or recorder. You may want to consider improving your options by getting a box with a second SCART socket, so you can connect to both a TV set and a video / DVD recorder.If connecting to a TV that doesn’t have a SCART socket, you need to look for a Freeview box that has a modulated output (e.g. the Icecrypt T5000).

Features: Basic boxes tend to support Freeview’s interactive services and subtitles. More expensive boxes come with two-week electronic programme guides, built-in games and programme timers. At the top-end, boxes have a built-in a hard-disk recorder – These hard-disk recorders, known as PVRs, support live pause, and many allow you to record one digital channel whilst watching another.

If you’re looking to buy a Freeview receiver, take a look at our list of Freeview boxes for the full range of UK boxes. Below, you’ll find our ‘Quick Picks’ – three different types of box, to suit differing budgets:

10 comments

I HAVE A BOXSET BY NAME MATSUI. CAN I GET FREEVIEW WITH A 20DB OR
45DB INDOOR (NOT OUTDOOR) ARIEL, AND WHAT IS MY DISTANCE FROM THE
TRANSMITTER WHICH IS SITUATED AT SUTTON-COLDFIELD, IS IT 15 OR 30
MILES.
THANK YOU.

I noticed yesterday, without any prior warning of any kind, 2 channels (CBS Action & Dave JaVu – channels 25 & 64) were removed from my Freeview service. Please explain why this has happened, I watch both these channels a lot, as they show a number of programmes which are among my favourites and it is highly annoying to go to watch them only to find they have been unceremoniously removed without trace or prior warning. I trust you will be restoring these services immediately as these actions have caused great annoyance. I live in West Kent so maybe it is just a localised error on your part but either way I look forward to (1) your explanation and (2) restoration of these channels. Thank you in frustration & annoyance.

I would like to know why such an important program like Daystar channel 73 has been taken off air.It was the new light of jesus coming to us in our homes just like TBN IS ON Channel 65 Together they gave an awesome delivery of gods message. Now it is like one arm being cut off. please reinstate it for the complete and varied delivery of these pastors of god who bring the answers to the problems of the world through the bible that we may receive everlasting life through jesus christ amen.

I have a Freeview television , I m not going to pay for virgin or sky , but I notice that all of the Freeview channels are available on sky and virgin , there are two many selling and jewellery channels why cannot Freeview show more sky or virgin
shows . I only watch five or six channels , I have heard that sky
have over two hundred channels a friend has sky has sky and he only watches six channels a lot to pay for just that .

i have built in freeview on tv and hardly getting any channels .iwas getting all channels when i stayed at eh25 9lu i am now at eh20 9fa,didnot need freeview box at first postcode.Surley if freeview built in on tv shouldnt need box can anyone help.

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